Cigarette package having a tearing tape



March 15, 1955 L. M. SANDLER 2,704,132

CIGARETTE PACKAGE HAVING A TEARING TAPE Filed Aug. s. 1953 United StatesPatent CIGARETTE PACKAGE HAVING A TEARING TAPE Leonard M. Sandler,Cambridge, Mass., assignor of onehalf to Manus Schoenfeld, Brooklinc,Mass.

Application August 5, 1953, Serial No. 372,560

6 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) The present invention relates to packaging, andis more particularly concerned with a novel frangible package adaptedespecially for containing cigarettes.

Heretofore many proposals have been advanced for improving cigarettepackages and the like to permit ready opening for extraction of thecigarettes or other contents. That these proposals have been impracticalor unsuccessful is evident from the fact that up to the present timenone of them has been adopted by any of the major tobacco companies.

Certain important requirements must be met if such a ready openingpackage is to come into general use. One of thesehas to do with theneeds of the cigarette maker. The improved package should be capable ofmanufacture upon existing packaging machinery with little or no expensefor modifications or attachments. The package, therefore, should be ofthe same size, shape and general construction as the standard cigarettepackage now on the market and further must-not require costly additionalmaterials, since the profit margin on each pack of cigarettes is of theorder of only a cent and one-half, more or less.

An improved package must likewise meet the requirements of the consumer.Smokers have well formed habits of opening cigarette packages, and anychange or improvement relating to the mode of opening must not befrustrating to them but rather should conform naturally with theirexisting habits. Most smokers, from my observation, tear a square orrectangular opening at one side of the upper end of the package, leavingexposed the upper ends of a number of cigarettes. When the open packageis carried around in purse or clothing, loose tobacco and oftenindividual cigarettes fall out. Furthermore, since there is no way ofreclosing the usual package, the cigarettes quickly become dry andstale, losing their flavor.

A further consideration is that any improved frangible cigarette packageshould be constructed in such a way that the revenue stamp will be tornduring opening. This stamp is placed across the middle of the top of thepackage and very often is not destroyed in the usual manner of opening.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of my invention to provide anew and improved package for cigarettes and the like, provided with areadily accessible pull tab and associated tearing or ripping portions,so arranged that a simple pull of the tab will tear a sizable opening inone end of the package corresponding closely with that which mostsmokers customarily make in opening the conventional package.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a package inwhich, preferably, the pull tab remains attached to the package and isreadily capable of being used as a closure to prevent scattering ofparticles of tobacco or accidental falling out of cigarettes, and to aidin keeping the cigarettes fresh until all are consumed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new improvedpackage of the type described, employing a minimum of additionalmaterials in its construction.

My novel package is formed from at least one sheet of wrapping materialappropriately folded to package form. For cigarette package purposes,this wrapper is usually the composite inner wrapper consisting of aninnermost paper sheet enclosing the cigarettes surrounded by a metallicfoil, the two components being secured to each other and acting as asingle sheet for wrapping purposes. This wrapper is folded to provide apair of overlapping closure flaps at one end which are folded towardseach other, as from the opposite wide sides of the package, for example.Prior to folding the wrapper, a portion thereof is cut out so that whenthe wrapper is folded into package form, two edges of these overlappingflaps are generally aligned both with each other and with the adjacentedge of the narrow side of the package and there is also provided anopening beneath the aforementioned overlapping flaps extending inwardlyof the package generally from the vicinity of such edge of the narrowside of the package. The location of the opening corresponds with thatwhich would be occupied by a third underlying flap if the wrapper hadnot been cut out in this manner. In one form of the invention thewrapper is notched to eliminate entirely this underlying third flap; inanother form the cut-out is somewhat shorter and leaves an abbreviatedor truncated flap which extends across the opening a short distancetoward the middle of the package beneath the two overlapping flaps butnot sufficiently to interfere with extracting the contents of thepackage.

I provide a tearing tape composed of suitable flexible material whichpreferably has greater tensile strength than the wrapper, and I extend aportion of the same beneath the overlapping flaps. This inwardlyextending portion of the tape underlies at least in part and isadhesively secured to the underside of the overlapping flaps.Preferably, this portion is as wide as the end of the package so thatits edges abut the bases of the two overlapping flaps at each side ofthe package. The adjacent portion of the tape is adhesively securedeither to the outer surface of the abbreviated flap, where such isprovided, or to a narrow area of the side wall of the package beneaththe edge thereof adjacent the opening, thereby, in either manner,completing the seal of the package. Still another portion of the tape,which may be a separate piece or an extension of the flap-underlyingportion bent back on itself, overlies and is adhesively secured to theOutside of the two overlapping flaps. An outwardly extending portion ofthe tape is provided to form a tab protruding from the side of thepackage. The tab is adapted to be manually grasped and, when pulledupwardly and toward the center of the end of the package, it serves todisengage the portion of the tape which is secured to the outer side ofthe wrapper or to the upper surface of the abbreviated flap, as the casemay be, and thereafter causes the tape to tear the two overlappingflaps, along lines corresponding generally to the side edges of theunderlying portion of the tape, from the edge of the package toward themiddle, thereby affording access to the interior. Where the underlyingportion of the tape is of the same width as the end of the package thesetwo tearing lines correspond to the base lines of the overlapping flapsand a sizeable opening is formed which therefore extends all the wayacross the corresponding side of the package and which may extend as fartoward the center of the package as desired, depending upon how farinwardly the underlying portion of the tearing tape is inserted.Preferably, this underlying portion is beneath at least a portion of therevenue stamp on a cigarette package to facilitate destruction thereofduring opening. The package construction, above described, may befurther wrapped in an outer paper wrapper and cellophane in the usualmanner. The tab, after the package has been opened, is adapted to beinserted beneath a wrapper of the package on one side thereof to reclosethe opening which has been torn.

Still further objects, features and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,in which like numerals refer to like parts in the several views, and inwhich Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a complete cigarette package,including the cellophane wrapper, according to the invention, showingthe position of the tab of the tearing tape;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the package with the upper portion of thecellophane wrapper removed and the tab and tearing tape, according tothe invention, pulled to form an opening exposing the cigarettes;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 33of Fig. 1 showing the several layers which make up the package;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the package WhlCh has been opened as inFig. 2, but with the tab tucked beneath the inner wrapper on one side,recloslng the opening Fig. 5 is a plan view of the composite paper andfoil inner wrapper unfolded, showing the notch which is cut in it priorto wrapping;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the formed inner wrapper with the upperend flaps unfolded preparatory to recelving the tearing tape;

Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6, with the tape in placepreparatory to closing the flaps over it;

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7, with the flaps folded down andthe tape refolded and secured thereto and having a portion formed into aprotruding tab;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. l, disclosing amodified embodiment of the invention In which the tape is secured to theside of the package beneath the opening;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the unfolded wrapper used informing the embodiment of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a still further modifiedpackage according to the invention employing a two-part tearing tape.

As is well known, the standard cigarette package in this countryconsists of an inner paper wrapper enclosing the cigarettes, a metalfoil wrapper secured to and surrounding the inner wrapper, an outerpaper wrapper outside the foil and covering the bottom and sides but notthe top of the package and bearing the manufacturers trade-mark, andfinally, surrounding the entire package, a transparent,moisture-vaporproof wrapper of cellophane or similar material. Thiscellophane wrapper customarily is provided with a tear strip extendingall the way around the package to facilitate ready opening. The revenuestamp is applied beneath the cellophane across the top of the packageand secured by adhesive to the flaps of the inner wrapper on top andalso on the wide sides to the outer paper wrapper which bears the brandname.

As seen in Fig. 1, the outer cellophane wrapper is indicated by numeral10. The number 12 denotes the tearing strip for opening the cellophanewrapper 10 permitting removal of the portion thereof enclosing the topof the package. The cellophane wrapper surrounds an outer paper wrapper14 (Fig. 2) to which the trademark or brand name of the cigarette makeris applied and which may be seen through the transparent outer covering.This outer wrapper which bears the name of the cigarette is wrappedaround the four upstanding sides of the package and is folded across thebottom and sealed in the usual manner. It does not, however, extendacross the upper end of the package. Underneath this paper outer wrapperis a composite inner wrapper of two layers the innermost of which ispaper and the adjacent one of which is metal foil, the two being securedto each other in the usual manner. The inner paper wrapper will bereferred to by the numeral 16a and the foil wrapper by the numeral 16b.Since these two layers operate as a unit, they will be referred tocollectively by the numeral 16 and it is evident that they may becomposed of one or more layers without in any way changing the nature ofthe invention.

The composite inner wrapper 16 is shown in unfolded blank form in Fig.5. In forming the package (Figs. 6-8) the blank wrapper 16 is folded asshown in Fig. 6 with the notch 18 at one end and adjacent a narrow sideof the package. The edges 20 and 21 overlap on the far side of thepackage as seen in Fig. 6. The top flaps are turned down along thebroken line 22 (Fig. 5) providing a pair of side flaps 24 and 26 and oneend flap 28 (Fig. 6). Opposite the flap 28 in one form of the inventionI provide an abbreviated flap 30 which extends only a very shortdistance inwardly of the narrow side of the package over the top of thecigarettes, as best seen in Fig. 6. This flap is provided by cutting thenotch 18 so that its base is located above the line 22.

Turning to Fig. 7, the manner of afiixing the tearing strip or tape willbe explained. The tape, indicated generally by the numeral 32, may becomposed of cellulose or some other suitable strong, flexible materialand carrying on one surface a suitable adhesive, as indicated. One endportion 34 of the tape is laid with the adhesive side up over thecigarettes and Wl'EhlIl the upstanding flaps 24 and 26. The portion 34preferably covers a sufiicient area of the end of the package so as tohave at least some portion of it located beneath the position which therevenue stamp will occupy when the package is sealed. The portion of thetape overlying the truncated flap 30 is secured thereto by the adhesiveindicated in Fig. 6 or otherwise.

Next the flap 28 is folded inwardly and flaps 24 and 26 folded down inoverlapped relation on top of the flap 28 and over the end portion 34 ofthe tearing tape. Due to the presence of the adhesive on the uppersurface of the portion 34, the under side of the flaps 24 and 26 will besecurely attached thereto. Next the tape 32 is folded back upon itselfalong the line 36 leaving a portion 38 protruding from the side of thepackage and with the portion 40 overlying the upper side of the flaps 24and 26 and secured thereto by the adhesive coating. It will be evidentthat that part of the portion 40 which overlies the protruding portion38 of the tape will adhere thereto forming a composite tab 42 which maybe trimmed down to a convenient shape, as seen in Fig. 8, to permitready reclosing.

To complete the package the outer wrapper 14 hearing the trade-mark isnext applied over the bottom and sides of the package, the tab 42 isfolded back across the top of the package and the revenue stamp applied,the latter holding the tip of tab 42 securely in place. Following thisoperation, the outer cellophane wrapper 10 is applied and the package isready for sale.

Returning to Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the manner of opening and reclosing mynovel package will be explained. First, the top of the cellophanewrapper is removed employing the tearing strip 12. Next the tab 42 istorn out from beneath the revenue stamp 44 and pulled upwardly andtoward the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. By reason of the presence ofthe portion 34, which is just as wide as the package, beneath the flaps24 and 26 these flaps are torn along their base lines from one narrowside of the package toward the center, providing an opening having awidth corresponding to that of the end of the package. The tearing maybe continued a sufficient distance to expose the cigarettes for readyremoval and also to tear a portion of the revenue stamp, therebydestroying the same. After the extraction of a cigarette, the tab 42 maybe tucked down between the inner wrapper 16 and the outer wrapper 14 orbetween the wrapper 16 and the cigarettes, leaving the flap 30 on theoutside as shown in Fig. 4. If the cellophane 10 is left in place, thetab 42 might also be merely tucked between the cellophane 10 and thewrapper 14.

I may omit the abbreviated flap 30 entirely and employ the constructionillustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. Here it will be observed that in the lastsealing operation of making the package instead of turning the flap 42back upon itself and tucking its end beneath the revenue stamp, I bendit down along the side of the package between the outer paper wrapperand the cellophane. A narrow portion of the tab is glued to acorresponding adhesively coated narrow area 45 of the side wall 46 ofthe inner wrapper thus completing the seal. In this form of theinvention the tab 42 is lifted upwardly to break the seal between itsunder surface and the surface 45 of the outer side wall 46 of the innerwrapper. Next it is pulled upwardly and to the left as viewed in Fig. 9to tear ppen the top of the package in the same manner as beore.

In Fig. 11 I have shown a somewhat modified form of the inventionillustrated in Figs. 1-8. In this case I have employed a tearing tapecomposed of a pair of distinct mating pieces instead of one long piecefolded upon itself. The first piece 48 corresponds with the tape 32 andis placed on the package in the same manner, adhesive side up. The flaps24 and 26 are folded over it and next the separate piece 50 is laid overthe whole, adhesive side down, as indicated by broken lines. The tabportions 52a and 52b of each are joined to form a tab like the tab 42 ofthe other figures. The underside of the tape 48 is glued to the shortflap 30 in like manner as shown in Fig. 7, or, where the flap 30 isomitted, the tape 48 may be secured to the side of the package as inFig. 9.

While I have particularly disclosed and described my novel frangiblepackage as applied to cigarette packages where its advantages are moststriking, the same may be applied to containers for other products whereit may be found useful. Consequently, I have not intended to limitmyself to cigarette packages in the statement of the invention or theappended claims.

Still further changes and modifications will occur to those skilled inthe art nevertheless within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cigarette package or the like comprising at least one sheet ofwrapping material, said sheet being folded to provide a pair ofoverlapping closure flaps at one end which are folded toward each otherand have a pair of edges generally aligned both with each other and withan adjacent edge of the end of said package, said sheet having a portioncut away to provide an opening beneath said flaps extending inwardly ofthe package generally from the vicinity of said edge of said package,and a tearing tape having a portion of substantially the width of theend of the package extending inwardly from said edge ofsaid packageunderlying at least in part and secured to said flaps, said tape havinganotherportion overlying at least in part and secured to the outside ofsaid flaps and likewise a portion secured to the outer side of saidsheet along an area thereof adjacent said opening, and said tape furtherhaving a tab extending outwardly from said last named area, whereby saidtape when pulled upwardly and inwardly'by said tab will disengage theportion of said tape which is secured to the outer side of said sheetand likewise tear said two flaps along lines correspondingf generally tothe side edges of the underlying portions of said tape from said edge ofthe package toward the middle of the package to afford access to theinterior thereof.

2. A cigarette package or the like comprising at least one sheet ofwrapping material, said sheet being folded to provide a pair ofoverlapping closure flaps at one end which are folded toward each otherand have a pair of edges generally aligned both with each other and withan adjacent edge of the end of said package, said sheet having a portioncut away leaving only a relatively short flap extending inwardly of saidedge of said package beneath said closure flaps to provide an openingbeneath said closure flaps extending inwardly of the package from theinner edge of said relatively short flap, and a tearing tape having aportion of substantially the width of the end of the package extendinginwardly from said inner edge underlying at least in part and secured tosaid closure flaps, said tape having another portion overlying at leastin part and secured to the outside of said closure flaps and a portionsecured to the outer side of said relatively short flap, and said tapefurther having a tab extending outwardly from the base of saidrelatively short flap, whereby said tape when pulled upwardly r andinwardly by said tab .will disengage the portion of said tape which issecured to said relatively short flap and likewise tear said two closureflaps along their bases from said edge of the package toward the middleof the package to afford access to the interior thereof, said tab beingadapted to be inserted beneath a wrapper of said package at one sidethereof for reclosing the opening thus torn.

3. A cigarette package or the like comprising at least one sheet ofwrapping material, said sheet being folded to provide a pair ofoverlapping closure flaps at one end which are folded toward each otherand have a pair of edges generally aligned both with each other and withan adjacent edge of the end of said package, said sheet having a portioncut away to provide an opening beneath said closure flaps extendinginwardly of the package from said edge thereof, and a tearing tapehaving a portion of substantially the width of the end of the packageextending inwardly from said edge underlying at least in part andsecured to said closure flaps, said tape having another portionoverlying at least in part and secured to the outside of said closureflaps and a portion secured to a narrow area of the outer side wall ofsaid package beneath said edge thereof, and said tape further having atab extending outwardly from said narrow area, whereby said tape whenpulled upwardly and inwardly by said tab will disengage the portion ofsaid tape which is secured to said narrow area and likewise tear saidtwo closure flaps along their bases from said edge of the package towardthe middle of the package to afford access to the interior thereof, saidtab being adapted to be inserted beneath a wrapper of said package atone side thereof for reclosing the opening thus tom.

4. A cigarette package or the like comprising at least one sheet ofwrapping material, said sheet being folded to provide a pair ofoverlapping closure flaps at one end which are folded toward each otherand have a pair of edges generally aligned both with each other and withan adjacent edge of the end of said package, said sheet having a portioncut away leaving only a relatively short flap extending inwardly of saidedge of said package beneath said closure flaps to provide an openingbeneath said closure flaps extending inwardly of the package generallyfrom the inner edge of said relatively short flap, and a two-parttearing tape, one part thereof having a portion of substantially thewidth of the end of the package extending inwardly from said inner edgeunderlying at least in part and secured to said closure flaps andanother portion secured to the outer side of said relatively short flap,the other part having a portion overlying at least in part and securedto the outside of said closure flaps, at least one of said parts havinga tab extending from the base of said relatively short flap, wherebysaid tape when pulled upwardly and inwardly by said tab will disengagethe portion of said tape which is secured to said relatively short flapand likewise tear said two closure flaps along their bases from saidedge of the package toward the middle of the package to afford access tothe interior thereof, said tab being adapted to be inserted beneath awrapper of said package at one side thereof for reclosing the openingthus torn.

5. A cigarette package or the like comprising at least one sheet ofwrapping material, said sheet being folded to provide a pair ofoverlapping closure flaps at one end which are folded toward each otherand have a pair of edges generally aligned both with each other and withan adjacent edge of the end of said package, said sheet having a portioncut away leaving only a relatively short flap extending inwardly of saidedge of said package beneath said closure flaps to provide an o eningbeneath said closure flaps extending inward y of the package generallyfrom the inner edge of said relatively short flap, and a tearing tapehaving a portion of substantially the width of the end of the packageextending inwardly from said inner edge underlying at least in part andsecured to said closure flaps, and a portion secured to the outer sideof said relatively short flap, said tape having another portion foldedback upon and overlying at least in part and secured to the outside ofsaid closure flaps and to form a tab extending from the base of saidrelatively short fiap, whereby said tape when pulled upwardly andinwardly by said tab will disengage the portion of said tape which issecured to said -,relatively short flap and likewise tear said twoclosure flaps along their bases from said edge of the package toward themiddle of the package to afford access'to the interior thereof, said tabbeing adapted to be inserted beneath a wrapper of said package at oneside "thereof for reclosing the opening thus torn.

6. A cigarette package or the like comprising a composite inner wrapperof paper and foil, said wrapper being folded to provide a pair ofoverlapping closure flaps at one end which are folded toward each otherand have a pair of edges generally aligned both with each other and'with an adjacent edge of the end of said package, said wrapper beingnotched to provide an opening beneath said flaps extending inwardly ofthe package generally from the vicinity of said edge of said package,and a tearing tape composed of flexible material having a portionextending inwardly from said edge of said package underlying at least inpart and secured to said flaps, said tape having another portion securedto the outer side of said wrapper along an area thereof adjacent saidopening, and said tape further having a tab extending from said lastnamed area and folded back across the top of said package, an outerwrapper surrounding the sides and bottom of said firstnamed wrapper, anda revenue stamp secured across the top of said package overlying in partthe first named position of said tape and also holding said tab, wherebysaid tape when pulled upwardly and inwardly by said tab will disengagethe portion of said tape which is secured to the outer side of saidsheet and likewise tear said two flaps along lines correspond inggenerally to the side edges of the underlying portion of said tape fromsaid edge of the package toward the middle of the package to affordaccess to the interior thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

